valuable lessons have been learned along the way, according to outgoing Chamber of Commerce president Mr. Thomas Dickinson.

Mr. Dickinson took over the reins of Bermuda's leading business organisation two years ago -- and was quickly faced with the Island's biggest economic downturn since the Second World War.

The role cast him as spokesman for hundreds of local businesses, lobbying, attacking or criticising Government on their behalf, voicing their concerns on everything from cruise ship policies to the performance of the Bermuda Industrial Union.

On Monday Mr. Dickinson steps down to pay more attention to his own recession-hit business, Astwood-Dickinson Ltd. jewellers. Mr. Louis Mowbray, a senior vice president at the Bank of Bermuda, takes over the Chamber presidency.

Reflecting on his term yesterday, Mr. Dickinson noted that he began with a mandate to restructure the Chamber, streamline a complex system of committees and make the organisation a more effective lobbyist for business.

But within a few months, recession dominated the agenda.

"It was a shock to us,'' Mr. Dickinson said. "It was a shock to Bermuda, because we had so much success since the Second World War.'' The Chamber worked with the Bermuda Employers Council and the Small Business Corporation to hold seminars and provide advice to businesses. The Chamber made expert help available to those who needed it, Mr. Dickinson said, and offered advice on such subjects as staffing.

Chamber officials discussed ways of cutting staff costs, he said, but there was never any group resolution among businesses to impose layoffs or go to shorter work weeks.

These things happened and in the winter of 1990-1991, said Mr. Dickinson, "it was a shock. This winter, it was expected.'' Some businesses went belly up; some are hanging on, he says, by their fingernails. And while tourist arrivals will start picking up over the summer, he predicted, it will take a lot longer than that for most businesses to recover.

"I think there are a lot of businesses who are very close to the edge and who may in fact not be able to continue in the way they have been operating -- or may not be able to continue at all. That's not to say those businesses are badly run: It's just that the circumstances are such that they can't continue the way they were.'' When the recession is finally over, Mr. Dickinson said, "there can be no doubt that prosperity is not going to come flowing back to Bermuda. There are inherent problems that need to be addressed.'' No matter what happens, he said, "the way in which we do business will never be the same.'' Customers will benefit, he predicted. Businesses will no longer take prosperity for granted. They will try harder to woo customers and sales staff will know their responsibilities better. Government may even consider duty reductions.

In short, he said, business will become more competitive. He enthusiastically supports the Premier's new Commission on Competitiveness, and said it must take a good look at the problems and potential of Bermuda's retailers.

If Bermuda truly wants to be a tourist resort, he said, it must work harder to eliminate the petty things that annoy tourists and "nickel and dime them to death.'' For instance, he pointed to a recent column in the American sailing magazine Cruising World, in which a yachtsman complained that his crew paid an arrival tax when they arrived -- and were charged another $15 a head when the flew out 24 hours later.

"We are in the tourism business,'' Mr. Dickinson said. "For heaven's sake, let's get into it properly.'' But how effective has the Chamber been in implementing change? The public saw of the fruits of this efforts in the easing of Government's stringent cruise ship policy. But more importantly, Mr. Dickinson said, was the behind-the-scenes manoeuvring and negotiations.

The lobbying efforts are all the more important because the retailers -- who are by far the largest component of the Chamber -- aren't directly represented in Government. Front Street and Government are no longer the same people.

"It's a shame there aren't more retailers in Government,'' Mr. Dickinson said, "but given the problems that retailers face today that they didn't face 20 years ago it's important that they must concentrate on their business to make them profitable. It's a full time job today.'' Overall, Mr. Dickinson said his two years in office have "been very rewarding -- and at times very frustrating. But it's been a very exciting time.'' MR. Thomas Dickinson.